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Canada and the
American Civil War
1861-1865
Causes of the
American Civil War
1861-1865
 This was a complex war fought
between states in the northern and
southern part of the USA
 The Union/ Federal- North (Yankees)
 The Confederacy- South
(Confederates)
Causes Continued
 Slavery (19 free states prohibited
slavery and 15 slave states allowed
slavery)
 Sectional differences (dissimilarity in
culture and economy)
 Political division within the country
(new Republican Party vs Democratic
Party)
Causes Continued
 Secession-Southern states wanted to
withdraw from the union if Abraham Lincoln
won the presidential election in 1860. The
Union did not want to allow this.
 Lincoln was an advocate for the abolition of
slavery-was elected
 Seven States seceded by March 1861 and
war was declared on April 12, 1861

Guelzo, Allen C. "Civil War, American." World Book Online Reference Center.
2006. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar117060>.
Map of the division of the states during the
Civil War. Dark blue represents Union states;
light blue represents Union states that permitted
slavery; red represents Confederate states;
Unshaded represents areas that had not yet
become states. Source: tp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War
How was Canada involved?
 Remember Canada as an independent country did
not exist until 1867
 It was still considered to be part of the British
Empire
 Britain handled Canada’s external affairs for
many years even after Confederation
 Many Canadians are believed to have fought
alongside Americans in the Civil War
Canada's Involvement
 Canadians were divided over the issues
concerning the war in the USA
 Britain was officially neutral for the duration of
the war but was seen to have more sympathy for
the Confederacy
 This increased tension between Britain and the
Union (Northern States)
 Slavery was abolished in the British Empire in
August of 1834
 Many escaped slaves were assisted and brought
to Canada via the Underground Railroad
The Trent Affair
 A naval incident in the first year of the war
(1861)
 2 men (James M. Mason and John Slidell)
representing the Confederacy sailed to Europe to
enlist the help of neutral countries such as France
and Britain
 Northern (Union ) ships were blockading
Southern ships in a number of ports
 They boarded the British ship the U.S.S. Trent
 This violated “freedom of the seas”
Trent Affair Continued
 Britain demanded an apology
 Britain also demanded the release of M.
Mason and Slidell
 Britain sent 8,000 troops to Canada and
garrisons were reinforced
 The US government released the men
Connelly, Thomas L. "Trent Affair." World Book Online Reference
Center. 2006.
<http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar566020>.
The Chesapeake Affair
 December 7, 1863
 16 Confederates took the Union ship Chesapeake
and sailed it to Saint John, N.B. and then on to
Nova Scotia
 Their intention was to sell the cargo and then use
the ship to attack the North
 They were captured by Northern warships in St.
Margaret's Bay (Sambro)
 A Nova Scotian fishing vessel was searched to
find Confederate refugees
 This again violated British neutrality
The St. Alban’s Raid
 There were some Confederate activities in
Canada
 The St. Alban’s raid is one of the better know
incidents- October 19, 1864
 It was a raid on St. Alban’s Vermont that was
instigated by Confederate rebels who had fled to
Canada
 From there they staged an armed robbery of 3
banks and held townspeople prisoner as they
attempted to burn the town
 The raiders than fled back to Canada where they
were arrested
 As Canada was neutral and the raiders were
acting on military orders they were let go
C.S.S Alabama
 The Alabama was one of the most famous
Confederate Civil War ships
 Along with other cruisers in destroyed 257 Union
ships and severely disrupted trade
 It was built in England in 1862
 The British eventually expressed regret for
building or outfitting ships for the Confederacy
 Britain had compromised her neutrality and
under the Treaty of Washington paid reparations
of 15.5 million dollars in damages to the U.S.A
World Book Online Reference Center. 2006.
<http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar566020>.
The Treaty of Washington
 Signed May 8, 1871
 Settled disputes that had arisen between the
U.S.A. and Britain during the Civil War
 Britain paid for damage caused by warships built
and sold to the Confederacy
 There were settlements regarding land claims
near Washington D.C.
 Granted fishing rights to the U.S.A. along
Eastern Canadian coastal waters and to Britain
north of the 39th parallel
Who Won?
 The Union or Federal force (the North)
won the war
Viscount Palmerston
Abraham Lincoln
President of the U.S.A.
Prime Minister of
Great Britain
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output
http://www.civil-war.net
Impact on Canadian
Confederation and Sovereignty
 Tension increased between the Union (North)
and Canada during the Civil War
 Don’t forget that Canada was still worried about
American ideas regarding annexation (Manifest
Destiny)
 After seeing what had happened when individual
states had too much power, the new Canadian
Federal government was designed to ensure more
centralized authority
Impact on Canadian
Confederation and Sovereignty
 Economic policies to protect Canadian
markets from the U.S.A were
implemented- the National Policy
 The Canadian Pacific Railway was built to
facilitate the settlement and defense of the
west.